Carry Me?
by kittyfitz01
Summary: Araile has had a tough time on the playground. Will Kakashi be able to make the 6 year old girl feel better? One-shot.


**Disclaimer: I only own Araile.**

Chirp...chirp...chirp...chirp went the crickets outside a little girl's window, but she didn't notice the sound as she lay on her bed with her arms over her young face. Even in the darkness of the girl's room, tear tracks could be seen down her cheeks and sniffles could occur every so often.

Why the sorrowful mood?

All because of a small group of boys.

It wasn't Araile's fault that she was different from all the people that lived in Konoha, or that no other person had cat ears or a tail.

She were just Araile, and Kakashi said that's all that matters. But then why did these boys make her cry so much?

A knock on the door sounded and Araile sat up, hastily drying her eyes.

"Yeah?" she sniffed, and her caretaker Kakashi Hatake poked his head in.

"Get some sleep, Araile" was all he said before closing the door.

Feeling her lip tremble slightly, Araile laid back down and rolled onto her side. Of course he would say that; it was past the girl's bedtime and he had surely heard his ward tossing and turning on her bed.

She was having such a good day, but that group of boys had to ruin it.

* * *

_It turned out to be a beautiful day with not a cloud in sight. A large smile spread across Araile's face as she skipped to the park; her white hair in two small pigtails down her back. She wore a pretty black and green summer dress with plain black leather sandals._

_Araile's eyes sparkled in excitement as she spied a free swing on the swing set. Her 6 year old mind was filled with the images of Araile flying high and reaching the clouds._

_Maybe if she swung high enough she could actually touch the clouds. This time she was definitely going to reach the sky! As soon as Araile reached the swing a force rammed into her back, knocking the girl onto her stomach._

_"Hey!" Araile shouted as she pushed herself up from the ground._

_Frowning, she noticed how dirty her pretty dress was. It was new too! Kakashi wasn't going to be happy with the 6 year old. Looking up, she noticed 3 boys sneering down at her. Araile's ears flattened as she tried dusting off the dress._

_"That wasn't very nice" Araile huffed, tail twitching._

_"That's our swing!" the boy in the middle said with his hands on his hips._

_His two friends snickered, and one nudged the other one and pointed to Araile._

_"Why do you have a tail? Are you a monster? Oh I know! You escaped from the zoo!" the leader of the group taunted, making the other two laugh hysterically._

_Araile's ears flattened as her lip began to tremble._

_"N-no I didn't" she said, tears beginning to prick her golden eyes._

_Laughing, the boys started to call her names and made fun of her ears and tail. Sniffling, Araile started to walk away; the boy's cruel laughter following her. As soon as Araile saw the stairs leading to her house, she rushed up the stairs and let herself inside the house._

_By the time Araile had flung herself onto her bed, tears had begun to fall down her cheeks like a waterfall. She buried her face into the pillow as sobs began to shake through Araile's small body. Kakashi always told her to feel proud of her ears and tail, but those boys made it extremely hard to like her features._

* * *

As the sun came up, Araile blinked slowly. She had not slept a wink, and her muscles were sore from staying in one place for a long period of time. Every time Araile tried, the boy's words would always float through her mind.

"Araile?" a voice said through her bedroom door.

"Go away" Araile sniffled, turning over on her side and staring at the wall.

"Is it because of those boys?" Kakashi said gently as he walked into the girl's room and sat down on the bed beside Araile.

The 6 year old flinched, and that confirmed it for her caretaker. Sighing, he put a hand on the top of Araile's head.

"What did they say?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it" she sniffled, burying her face into pillow.

Araile's tail twitched as her small shoulders shook, muffled sobs coming from the pillow. Kakashi sighed again, his eye showing his sorrow for his ward. When he had come back from buying some groceries, Asuma had come up to him and said that he overheard a group of boys laughing about how they had made a little freak of a girl cry like a little baby.

The older man thought it had something to do with Araile, and he was right.

"You shouldn't have to let what those boys said effect you. You're a tough girl" Kakashi said.

"It doesn't matter! I'm a freak to the other kids!" she cried, looking tearfully at Kakashi.

He sighed and gently wiped Araile's tears away, and she sniffed and released a shaky breath, ears lowered.

"I don't like my ears" Araile mumbled as she sat up on her bed, tugging on one ear.

"Oh? Why not?" Kakashi asked.

"Because people always make fun of them. Why can't I have normal ears like everyone else?" Araile whined.

Kakashi sighed again putting a hand on the girl's head and ruffled her hair, earning Kakashi a noise of protest.

"You are pretty just the way you are. You should not let them get to you, Araile" Kakashi said, smiling with his one exposed eye.

Araile turned to look at the Jonin, trying to see if he was joking.

"Really?" she asked, rubbing one eye.

"Oh yes"

A small smile crossed the girl's lips, mirroring Kakashi's.

"Now, are you going to let some boys get you down?" Kakashi said as he stood up.

"No" Araile said, feeling a little better.

"Good" Kakashi said, standing up and walking towards the door.

"Kakashi?" she asked, standing up on her bed.

"Hm?"

"Carry me?" Araile asked, arms stretched out towards him.

Kakashi gave a small laugh and walked back to Araile. He turned around and his ward laced her hands around Kakashi's neck, and Kakashi carried Araile all the way to the kitchen. Even though she were a bit sad about the boys' words, Kakashi was right.

She had to stay strong, and had to like herself for what she was.


End file.
